News

IT WAS elation for the VFL and humiliation for the WAFL as Saturday's state league match at Port Melbourne developed into an 119-point annihilation of the visitors.

The Victorians smothered WA on the tight oval, denying them the space and time they enjoy on the larger grounds in WA.

The Vics never relented: even  in the final quarter, with his side more than 100 points in front, captain James Byrne was applying crunching tackles.

The black swans were always under pressure and always making skill errors.

They also showed a lack of aggression that disappointed coach Ash Prescott.

 ``We were looking for someone to show some mongrel. We didn't see it,'' he said.

By half-time most of the interest centred on statistical points: how many goals would spearhead Nick Sautner finish with, and the final margin.

Sautner kicked six in the first half and wound up with nine, but that wasn't enough to win him the Frank Johnson Medal as the VFL's best player.

That accolade went to on-the-rise Alister Neville, who was part of a dominant on-ball brigade and had 25 possessions.

The WAFL kicked the first goal of the match, but the VFL answered with five.

Then it put its opponent on the rack, kicking 10 goals to none in the second quarter.

``I thought the pressure for four quarters was outstanding,'' Vics coach Mark Williams said.

SCOREBOARD: VFL 5.2, 15.4, 20.6, 25.11 (161) def WAFL 1.6, 1.8, 3.10, 5.12 (42). Goals: (Vic) Sautner 9, Berry 4, Byrne 2, Crowe 2, Johnson 2, Cartledge 2, Summers, Spriggs, Podsiadly, Height. (WA) Hay 2, C Jones 2, A Jones. Best: (Vic) Neville, Sautner, Byrne, Berry, Rosa, Biddlecombe, Cartledge, Robbins. (WA) Hay, C Jones, Colreavy, Fleay, Longmuir.